Germans are the second largest ethnic group in the United States. Only those of English descent are more numerous. Even so, both groups represent generations of families living in America. These days, around a million people each year legally immigrate to the U.S. Countless more people immigrate illegally into the country hoping for a better life. The number of Germans or English coming to the U.S. today is hardly measurable amongst other immigrant groups. However, because of the waves of immigration from these two countries hundreds of years ago, they are still the foundation for the larger part of the U.S. population. Not even the large influx of Scots and Irish ever matched the overall migration of Germans. Germans were among the earliest people to move in mass to the New World. The Germans in Colonial Times examines the life of the earliest German settlers, their lives, their participation in the colonies, and even their part in the Revolutionary War.

This book is a facsimile reprint of the original work by Lucy Forney Bittinger. Her initial release was in 1901. Her turn of the [last] century writing style and word choice add some flavor to the book. She was concerned about the lack of knowledge and information people had about these early Germans and their deeds, even by their decedents. Quoting from the forward, “…even the descendants of these Teutonic pioneers are often ignorant or—more inexcusable—ashamed of their progenitors…”

In these pages you will find stories and essays on the history of Germans in American. How and why they came, the skills they brought with them, and their contributions in the colonies and in the Revolutionary War. Learning the history of these early German settlers can provide a sense of appreciation for their works and contributions to the country as a whole. Plus, learning specific history can sometimes help lead researchers to unexpected information and sources of information.

Contents

Conditions in Germany Which Led to Emigration

Penn’s Visit to Germany

Germantown

The Labadists in Maryland

The Woman in the Wilderness

German Valley, New Jersey

Kocherthal’s Colony

The Great Exodus of the Palatines

Pequae and the Mennonites

The Dunkers and Ephrata

The Schwenkfelder and Christopher Dock

The Progress of Settlement in the Valley of Virginia and in Maryland

The Germans in South Carolina

German Colonization in New England

The Salzburgers in Georgia and the Pennsylvania Germans in North Carolina